LEAven Blog

Halloween is Coming Soon

     Every October 31st, Christians around the world wonder if it’s okay for kids to celebrate Halloween with all its hoopla regarding ghoulish costumes, excessive eating of candy (or for adults, excessive drinking), “Fright Night” video watching, and the inevitable “tricks and treats.”  Lutheran schools and churches have policies regarding how much or how little to celebrate the secularization of Halloween.  Youth groups hold “Trunk or Treat” events, classroom teachers talk about how Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenburg, and discussions about the Eve of All Saints Day help to mitigate the overly secular emphasis on Halloween that abounds in contemporary culture.¹ And still the secular celebration seems to overshadow the meaning of All Hallows’ Eve.

Origins – in Brief

     Halloween is said to have its origin in the pagan Celtic harvest festival of Samhain (Gaelic: SAW-win), where people would light fires and wear costumes to chase away ghosts.²   Halloween (or Hallowe’en – from the Scottish form of All Hallows’ Eve) refers to the evening before All Hallows’ Day (Hallows’ = saints, i.e. All Saint’s Day – Nov. 1).  Therefore, Halloween is the evening before the celebration of All Saint’s (Hallows’) Day that has been celebrated in various ways, places, and times since at least the 4^th century A.D.

Getting Ready for All Hallows’ Eve and All Saints Day

     Here are some ideas for your 2024 celebrations of October 31 and November 1, 2024.

• Have someone with a good digital camera take a high-resolution photo of each class and their teacher. Also, take a group photo of the school faculty and staff, pastor(s), D.C.E, youth worker, etc. Blow up each photo and copy them with your color copier on 11” x 17” paper or card stock. Display all pictures on the church and/or school bulletin board with a banner that says something like “CELEBRATING ALL THE SAINTS AT (Your school/church name).”
• Use the same photos and project them on a PowerPoint loop before All Saint’s Day Worship Services with the caption: The Saints of (school/church) Welcome You to All Saint’s Day Worship!
• During your weekly chapel service, do a short, student-led litany about the saints of old and contemporary saints who confess their faith and serve their neighbors. (See “A Sample Litany” at the bottom of this blog.)
• During the month of October, learn the hymn: “For All the Saints, Who from Their Labors Rest” (LSB 677) or “We Sing for All the Unsung Saints” (LSB 678).  Make sure to go over unfamiliar vocabulary in the hymn.  Teach only one or two stanzas a day of “For all the Saints…”³
• Have your students interview a living saint, such as a grandparent, Godfather/Godmother, aunt or uncle, or a person in your congregation who is an active volunteer at church. Discuss with the class to help them develop a short list of questions about how the person they interviewed became a Saint of God. Have the students report back their findings.
• Have an All Saint’s Day food drive during October and November.  Donate the food (and maybe some cash) to a local food bank to feed the hungry on Thanksgiving.
• Here’s a tricky one, literally!  As your students go out “trick or treating,” have them ask the people they visit if they would like to donate a can of soup or other nonperishable food to your school/church Thanksgiving food drive.  They can pull a cart or wagon to hold the donations.  If parents can accompany their children, so much the better.  If you could also print up a little handout stating what food shelf the donations will go to and what church is sponsoring this food drive, it would be helpful.  There are many ways to do this, so consult with your local food bank for other suggestions.

     God’s richest blessings on this year’s All Hallows’ Eve and All Saint’s Day celebrations in your church and school as you prepare children (and adults) to be loving, caring, generous, prayerful servant saints in their homes, schools, neighborhoods, and the world.

The Prayer of Paul to the Church in Colossae:

To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Colossians 1:2-4

A Sample ALL SAINT’S DAY LITANY  

To be led by children (Four children are listed in the following prayer – feel free to use more or less as your situation demands.)

Prayer:

Child 1: O God of every saint, we give thanks and praise for all saints, both living and departed,

Child 2: For all the saints who have worshiped you in grass huts or great cathedrals,

Child 3: In homes or tent encampments or homeless shelters,

Child 4: In family gatherings or begging for help on the streets.

ALL:  We give you thanks and praise for your faithful saints.

Child 1: For all the saints of ancient times who place their faith in You, O LORD:
ALL: We give your thanks and praise.

Child 2: For all those saints who were present with Lord Jesus in His ministry:

ALL: We give your thanks and praise.

Child 2: For young saints and old, for rich saints and poor, for saints in good health and those who are ill:
ALL: We give your thanks and praise.

Child 4: For saints who are caregivers and saints who pray for peace:

ALL: We give your thanks and praise.

Child 1: For saints who serve as pastors, teachers, Directors of Christian Education,

Child 2: For saints who serve as parish musicians, artists, Sunday school teachers, and for all volunteers who serve in so many ways:

ALL: We give your thanks and praise.

Child 3: For those saints who are newly baptized,

Child 4: For all saints who in many ways proclaim the love of Christ in all times and places:

ALL:  We give you thanks and praise.

Child 1: For all the saints of this congregation who have died this past year and are now are with their Savior in heaven,

ALL: We give your thanks and praise, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  AMEN!

Various Children read the names of this year’s faithfully departed.

Children read each name:

For (full name of the departed saint)

    A bell is run and/or a candle is lighted after each name is spoken

    (NOTE: Avoid the use of real candles with children – use battery operated candles for safety).

After all the names have been spoken all will say The LORD’s Prayer:

Child 2: We join together in the prayer that Christ our LORD has taught us to pray…

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.  Amen.

Footnotes: